Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Department of Water and Environmental Regulation Albany hinterland prospective groundwater resources map Explanatory notes Hydrogeological Map series Report no. HM 12 August 2017 Albany hinterland prospective groundwater resources map Explanatory notes Department of Water Hydrogeological Map series Report no. HM 12 August 2017 Department of Water and Environmental Regulation 168 St Georges Terrace Perth Western Australia 6000 Telephone +61 8 6364 7000 Facsimile +61 8 6364 7001 National Relay Service 13 36 77 www.dwer.wa.gov.au © Government of Western Australia August 2017 This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. ISBN (online) 978-1-925524-48-2 ISSN (online) 2208-4207 Acknowledgements The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation would like to thank the following for their contribution to this publication: Sheryl Ryan, Andrew Maughan and Cahit Yesertener. Review and editing was undertaken by Alex Kern, Scott Macaulay, Jon-Philippe Pigois and Sandie McHugh. This project was made possible by the Western Australian Government’s Royalties for Regions program. Recommended reference Ryan SA, Maughan A & Yesertener C 2017, Albany hinterland prospective groundwater resources map explanatory notes, Hydrogeological map series, HM12, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, Government of Western Australia, Perth Cover photograph: View from Albany port to the Albany hinterland. Disclaimer This document has been published by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. Any representation, statement, opinion or advice expressed or implied in this publication is made in good faith and on the basis that the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and its employees are not liable for any damage or loss whatsoever which may occur as a result of action taken or not taken, as the case may be in respect of any representation, statement, opinion or advice referred to herein. Professional advice should be obtained before applying the information contained in this document to particular circumstances. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation was established by the Government of Western Australia on 1 July 2017. It is a result of the amalgamation of the Department of Environmental Regulation, Department of Water and the Office of the Environmental Protection Authority. This publication may contain references to previous government departments and programs. Please email the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation to clarify any specific information. This publication is available at our website www.dwer.wa.gov.au or for those with special needs it can be made available in alternative formats such as audio, large print, or Braille. Hydrogeological Map series, report no. HM12 Contents 1 Introduction.............................................................................................................. 1 2 About the map ......................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Groundwater salinity ........................................................................................................ 6 2.2 Groundwater recharge ..................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Groundwater storage ....................................................................................................... 8 3 Prospective groundwater resources ........................................................................ 9 3.1 King River area ................................................................................................................ 9 3.2 Kalgan River area .......................................................................................................... 12 3.3 Manypeaks area ............................................................................................................. 14 3.4 Nanarup area ................................................................................................................. 16 Appendices ................................................................................................................ 19 Appendix A — Depth to basement mapping ............................................................................ 19 Appendix B — Groundwater recharge methodology ................................................................ 23 Appendix C — Bores in the Albany hinterland ......................................................................... 26 Shortened forms ........................................................................................................ 28 Glossary .................................................................................................................... 29 References ................................................................................................................ 31 Figures Figure 1 Locality map and investigation area ................................................... 3 Figure 2 Generalised cross-section of the Albany hinterland ........................... 5 Figure 3 King River area location map ........................................................... 11 Figure 4 Kalgan River area location map ....................................................... 13 Figure 5 Manypeaks area location map ......................................................... 15 Figure 6 Nanarup area location map .............................................................. 17 Tables Table 1 Stratigraphy and aquifers in the Albany hinterland ............................. 4 Table 2 Salinity categories and generalised uses ........................................... 6 Table 3 Groundwater recharge estimates ....................................................... 7 Table 4 Groundwater storage estimates ......................................................... 8 Department of Water and Environmental Regulation iii Hydrogeological Map series, report no. HM12 1 Introduction With its relatively cooler, temperate climate, the Albany hinterland area is considered to have strong potential for agricultural expansion. Also, the area has been recognised in the Great Southern regional blueprint (GSDC 2014) as ‘the most significant hotspot for competing water demand in the Great Southern’. Therefore, identifying prospective sources of potable and fit-for-purpose groundwater is essential to provide diversification options for industry and agriculture. The former Department of Water (the department, now the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation) recognised the importance of this in the Great Southern regional water supply strategy (DoW 2014a) with Strategy 4 – Investigate groundwater and surface water resources to support regional development. In 2013 the department began an investigation in the Albany hinterland area to map prospective groundwater resources and provide information on water availability. This project is part of the South Coast Groundwater Investigation, made possible by the Government of Western Australia, Royalties for Regions groundwater availability, investigation and planning initiative. These explanatory notes accompany the Albany hinterland prospective groundwater resources map. The map shows the location, spatial extent, water quality and conceptual hydrogeological cross-sections for four prospective groundwater resource areas: King River area Kalgan River area Manypeaks area Nanarup area The map may be used to guide further investigations to validate the yield, quality and volume of potential water supplies. The map can be downloaded from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation website at www.dwer.wa.gov.au. Department of Water and Environmental Regulation 1 Hydrogeological Map series, report no. HM12 2 About the map The Albany hinterland prospective groundwater resources map shows the interpreted distribution of prospective resources across the investigation area. The Albany hinterland is located on Western Australia’s south coast, extending north-west to north-east of the Albany urban area (Figure 1). The area is approximately 1200 km2 in size and encompasses the localities of Torbay and Redmond in the west and Manypeaks in the east. NAPIER MANYPEAKS REDMOND KALGAN LOWER KING NANARUP WESTERN ELLEKER ALBANY AUSTRALIA TORBAY PERTH ! ! ALBANY Figure 1 Locality map and investigation area Four prospective groundwater resource areas were identified through an airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey, interpretation of existing and new borehole data and surface geology mapping. These resources are the King River, Kalgan River, Manypeaks and Nanarup groundwater resource areas. Table 1 summarises stratigraphy and aquifer details and Figure 2 is a generalised hydrogeological cross- section though the study area. Groundwater resources suitable for moderate- to large-scale use are stored in sandy sediments of the Werillup Formation, which were deposited within palaeochannels formed in pre-Tertiary drainages (Kern 2007). In the Albany hinterland, palaeochannels are present in the King River and Manypeaks areas where basement erosion is